The GOP can't find a candidate to run against a Nazi, in their own primary

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The GOP can't find a candidate to run against a Nazi, in their own primary

Just unbelievable. It will be interesting to see just how many votes this guy gets.

A former leader in the American Nazi Party is about to get the Republican nomination for a U.S. congressional seat in Illinois.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Arthur Jones, a Holocaust denier who has repeatedly tried ― and failed ― to attain office, is the only candidate seeking the GOP nod for the seat in the heavily Democratic 3rd Congressional District.

Images on Jones’ campaign website showed him speaking at KKK and neo-Nazi events, giving the Nazi salute and shredding the flag of Israel. He called the Confederate flag the symbol of “white pride,” “white resistance” and “white counterrevolution.” Jones also told the Sun-Times that the Holocaust was “an international extortion racket.”

Party leaders have disowned Jones.

“The Illinois Republican Party and our country have no place for Nazis like Arthur Jones,” Tim Schneider, chairman of the Illinois Republican Party, told the Sun-Times. “We strongly oppose his racist views and his candidacy for any public office, including the 3rd Congressional District.”

Jones mocked the party’s attempts to stop him.

“Well, it’s absolutely the best opportunity in my entire political career,” he told the Chicago Tribune. “Every time I’ve run it’s been against a Republican who follows this politically correct nonsense. This time they screwed up.”

Re: The GOP can't find a candidate to run against a Nazi, in their own primary

I can understand how this would come about. It's a heavily Democrat-leaning district. No great chance of a Republican winning - so no candidate of repute wants to go to the trouble of raising all that money, most donors don't want to donate to a lost cause, and so what is left to pick up the banner is... The Dregs.

That said, this is simply another example of the extent of the division, and how far toward the fringes the R's have gone --

Today's Republican Party has adopted policies of exclusion, division, and racism - cynically for partisan advantage.

So - if you are supporting Republicans, or their present-day policies, you are... at worst, all those things yourself, and treasonous into the bargain... and at the very least, aiding and abetting the dismantling of the grand experiment in self-governance that is the genius of the U.S.

Re: The GOP can't find a candidate to run against a Nazi, in their own primary

Originally Posted by David G

I can understand how this would come about. It's a heavily Democrat-leaning district. No great chance of a Republican winning - so no candidate of repute wants to go to the trouble of raising all that money, most donors don't want to donate to a lost cause, and so what is left to pick up the banner is... The Dregs.

Sure, that makes sense.

However, it's an extraordinary circumstance... and unless the Republican Party wants to be identified, rightly or wrongly, with a Nazi reprobate, they would need to get SOME warm body in there, if for no other reason that to demonstrate a pushback against something they DON'T want to be identified with.

It's not uncommon for someone to fall on their sword for the sake of their party... it's happened many times. The fact that they can't find anyone, is telling, I think.

But, more importantly, just think of what happens when this clown loses... but gathers a not-insignificant number of votes.

"No people can be great who have ceased to be virtuous."--- Samuel Johnson

Re: The GOP can't find a candidate to run against a Nazi, in their own primary

It will be interesting to see just how many votes this guy gets, even in a heavily Democratic district... if it exceeds the number of votes that a Republican would ordinarily be expected to get, we'll have an interesting data point on just how many Nazi sympathizers there are, in this Illinois district.

"No people can be great who have ceased to be virtuous."--- Samuel Johnson

Re: The GOP can't find a candidate to run against a Nazi, in their own primary

It's quite similar to what happened in Michigan some years ago, when a guy who formed his own Nazi party, even sewing up his own uniforms, won the Republican party nomination for Congress to run against the Democratic Speaker of the House. He lost the election, got about 40% of the vote. Neither the local or national Republican party had much to say bad about their candidate. They simply identified him as a "conservative".

Re: The GOP can't find a candidate to run against a Nazi, in their own primary

Originally Posted by Dan McCosh

It's quite similar to what happened in Michigan some years ago, when a guy who formed his own Nazi party, even sewing up his own uniforms, won the Republican party nomination for Congress to run against the Democratic Speaker of the House. He lost the election, got about 40% of the vote. Neither the local or national Republican party had much to say bad about their candidate. They simply identified him as a "conservative".

Re: The GOP can't find a candidate to run against a Nazi, in their own primary

Originally Posted by Norman Bernstein

Sure, that makes sense.

However, it's an extraordinary circumstance... and unless the Republican Party wants to be identified, rightly or wrongly, with a Nazi reprobate, they would need to get SOME warm body in there, if for no other reason that to demonstrate a pushback against something they DON'T want to be identified with.

It's not uncommon for someone to fall on their sword for the sake of their party... it's happened many times. The fact that they can't find anyone, is telling, I think.

But, more importantly, just think of what happens when this clown loses... but gathers a not-insignificant number of votes.

Norman, does the republican party have the right to stop him from running, or can they only publicly disavow any affiliation with him? Just wondering.

Like if someone from the workers socialist party ran as a democrat somewhere.

Re: The GOP can't find a candidate to run against a Nazi, in their own primary

Originally Posted by paulf

Norman, does the republican party have the right to stop him from running, or can they only publicly disavow any affiliation with him? Just wondering.

Like if someone from the workers socialist party ran as a democrat somewhere.

Well, let's just think about this - the Democratic party successfully out-maneuvered the run of an Independent candidate as a Democrat, so why can't the Republican party out-manuever a Nazi running as a Republican?

"The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails."
-William A. Ward

Re: The GOP can't find a candidate to run against a Nazi, in their own primary

Originally Posted by Canoez

Well, let's just think about this - the Democratic party successfully out-maneuvered the run of an Independent candidate as a Democrat, so why can't the Republican party out-manuever a Nazi running as a Republican?

Re: The GOP can't find a candidate to run against a Nazi, in their own primary

Originally Posted by paulf

Norman, does the republican party have the right to stop him from running, or can they only publicly disavow any affiliation with him? Just wondering.

I have no idea. They can certainly disavow him, but I doubt they can stop him from running, per se. Obviously, they can refuse to support him... financially, or otherwise.

Clearly, the best way to stop him would be to recruit SOMEONE to run against him in the primary, and devote just enough cash to insure that the challenger wins the nomination... even if they recognize that the challenger can't win the general election in that congressional district.

The question is whether there's a Republican willing to put country above party, and sacrifice himself, to prevent an avowed Nazi from bearing the Republican brand.

It would take some actual courage... which might be in short supply.

"No people can be great who have ceased to be virtuous."--- Samuel Johnson

Re: The GOP can't find a candidate to run against a Nazi, in their own primary

Originally Posted by Canoez

Well, let's just think about this - the Democratic party successfully out-maneuvered the run of an Independent candidate as a Democrat, so why can't the Republican party out-manuever a Nazi running as a Republican?

Re: The GOP can't find a candidate to run against a Nazi, in their own primary

Originally Posted by Norman Bernstein

I have no idea. They can certainly disavow him, but I doubt they can stop him from running, per se. Obviously, they can refuse to support him... financially, or otherwise.

Clearly, the best way to stop him would be to recruit SOMEONE to run against him in the primary, and devote just enough cash to insure that the challenger wins the nomination... even if they recognize that the challenger can't win the general election in that congressional district.

The question is whether there's a Republican willing to put country above party, and sacrifice himself, to prevent an avowed Nazi from bearing the Republican brand.

It would take some actual courage... which might be in short supply.

Indeed, as I've said, the fact they don't remove this stain from their brand is amazing to me.

There may be just enough numbskulls in that district to bring him forward, a deplorable thumb in the eye of the democrats. I've lived in Chicago, a lot of racism around there.

Re: The GOP can't find a candidate to run against a Nazi, in their own primary

Originally Posted by David G

I can understand how this would come about. It's a heavily Democrat-leaning district. No great chance of a Republican winning - so no candidate of repute wants to go to the trouble of raising all that money, most donors don't want to donate to a lost cause, and so what is left to pick up the banner is... The Dregs.

That is a damned good argument for our system where spending on any election campaign is capped.

It really is quite difficult to build an ugly wooden boat.
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Re: The GOP can't find a candidate to run against a Nazi, in their own primary

Originally Posted by Norman Bernstein

Clearly, the best way to stop him would be to recruit SOMEONE to run against him in the primary, and devote just enough cash to insure that the challenger wins the nomination... even if they recognize that the challenger can't win the general election in that congressional district.

Our parties do something similar. They run a novice in an unwinnable safe seat so that the novice can learn how to campaign in preparation for running in a winnable seat.

It really is quite difficult to build an ugly wooden boat.
The power of the web: Anyone can post anything on the web
The weakness of the web: Anyone can post anything on the web.

Re: The GOP can't find a candidate to run against a Nazi, in their own primary

Originally Posted by Norman Bernstein

I have no idea. They can certainly disavow him, but I doubt they can stop him from running, per se. Obviously, they can refuse to support him... financially, or otherwise.

Clearly, the best way to stop him would be to recruit SOMEONE to run against him in the primary, and devote just enough cash to insure that the challenger wins the nomination... even if they recognize that the challenger can't win the general election in that congressional district.

The question is whether there's a Republican willing to put country above party, and sacrifice himself, to prevent an avowed Nazi from bearing the Republican brand.

It would take some actual courage... which might be in short supply.

I'm not sure the nazi wouldn't win regardless. Wouldn't THAT be interesting.

The best statement I've seen from this latest carnage came from a student who lived through it -

Re: The GOP can't find a candidate to run against a Nazi, in their own primary

Originally Posted by Flying Orca

Don't US political parties get to decide who can be a member and who can't? I mean, why does the party have to accept a Nazi as a candidate?

Well, Republicans run in primaries if others are running for the same position, the winner wins and runs on the gOP ticket. Now maybe they can keep him from running as a Republican but, they'd have to find a candidate to take his place. I'm sure there are ways to address this but, I'm not sure of the details.

Re: The GOP can't find a candidate to run against a Nazi, in their own primary

Originally Posted by Flying Orca

Don't US political parties get to decide who can be a member and who can't? I mean, why does the party have to accept a Nazi as a candidate?

A candidate is free to call himself anything he wants... it doesn't mean that the particular political party acknowledges him, or supports him.

Of course, a 'normal' candidate would certainly want the support of the party, in terms of financial support, and general political support from other party members, like endorsements, speaking opportunities, etc. Clearly, this guy doesn't care about that, since he knows he can't win the general election, and is simply trying to maximize his 'face time' in the media.

"No people can be great who have ceased to be virtuous."--- Samuel Johnson

Re: The GOP can't find a candidate to run against a Nazi, in their own primary

I think Moore was an example! Ran as a Republican and for a while, lost GOP funding which was reinstated after an interim where Moore wasn't getting any. Reasoning, Trump supported him openly!Still ran on the Republican ticket though.